Install Primary-Remote on different networks

Follow this guide to install the Istio control plane on cluster1 (the primary cluster) and configure cluster2 (the remote cluster) to use the control plane in cluster1. Cluster cluster1 is on the network1 network, while cluster2 is on the network2 network. This means there is no direct connectivity between pods across cluster boundaries.

Before proceeding, be sure to complete the steps under before you begin.

In this configuration, cluster cluster1 will observe the API Servers in both clusters for endpoints. In this way, the control plane will be able to provide service discovery for workloads in both clusters.

Service workloads across cluster boundaries communicate indirectly, via dedicated gateways for east-west traffic. The gateway in each cluster must be reachable from the other cluster.

Services in cluster2 will reach the control plane in cluster1 via the same east-west gateway.

Primary and remote clusters on separate networks

Today, the remote profile will install an istiod server in the remote cluster which will be used for CA and webhook injection for workloads in that cluster. Service discovery, however, will be directed to the control plane in the primary cluster.

Future releases will remove the need for having an istiod in the remote cluster altogether. Stay tuned!

Set the default network for cluster1

If the istio-system namespace is already created, we need to set the cluster’s network there:

$ kubectl --context="${CTX_CLUSTER1}" get namespace istio-system && \
  kubectl --context="${CTX_CLUSTER1}" label namespace istio-system topology.istio.io/network=network1

Configure cluster1 as a primary

Create the Istio configuration for cluster1:

$ cat <<EOF > cluster1.yaml
apiVersion: install.istio.io/v1alpha1
kind: IstioOperator
spec:
  values:
    global:
      meshID: mesh1
      multiCluster:
        clusterName: cluster1
      network: network1
EOF

Apply the configuration to cluster1:

$ istioctl install --context="${CTX_CLUSTER1}" -f cluster1.yaml

Install the east-west gateway in cluster1

Install a gateway in cluster1 that is dedicated to east-west traffic. By default, this gateway will be public on the Internet. Production systems may require additional access restrictions (e.g. via firewall rules) to prevent external attacks. Check with your cloud vendor to see what options are available.

Zip

$ @samples/multicluster/gen-eastwest-gateway.sh@ \
    --mesh mesh1 --cluster cluster1 --network network1 | \
    istioctl --context="${CTX_CLUSTER1}" install -y -f -

Wait for the east-west gateway to be assigned an external IP address:

$ kubectl --context="${CTX_CLUSTER1}" get svc istio-eastwestgateway -n istio-system
NAME                    TYPE           CLUSTER-IP    EXTERNAL-IP    PORT(S)   AGE
istio-eastwestgateway   LoadBalancer   10.80.6.124   34.75.71.237   ...       51s

Expose the control plane in cluster1

Before we can install on cluster2, we need to first expose the control plane in cluster1 so that services in cluster2 will be able to access service discovery:

Zip

$ kubectl apply --context="${CTX_CLUSTER1}" -f \
    @samples/multicluster/expose-istiod.yaml@

Expose services in cluster1

Since the clusters are on separate networks, we also need to expose all user services (*.local) on the east-west gateway in both clusters. While this gateway is public on the Internet, services behind it can only be accessed by services with a trusted mTLS certificate and workload ID, just as if they were on the same network.

Zip

$ kubectl --context="${CTX_CLUSTER1}" apply -n istio-system -f \
    @samples/multicluster/expose-services.yaml@

Set the default network for cluster2

If the istio-system namespace is already created, we need to set the cluster’s network there:

$ kubectl --context="${CTX_CLUSTER2}" get namespace istio-system && \
  kubectl --context="${CTX_CLUSTER2}" label namespace istio-system topology.istio.io/network=network2

Enable API Server Access to cluster2

Before we can configure the remote cluster, we first have to give the control plane in cluster1 access to the API Server in cluster2. This will do the following:

• Enables the control plane to authenticate connection requests from workloads running in cluster2. Without API Server access, the control plane will reject the requests.

• Enables discovery of service endpoints running in cluster2.

To provide API Server access to cluster2, we generate a remote secret and apply it to cluster1:

$ istioctl x create-remote-secret \
    --context="${CTX_CLUSTER2}" \
    --name=cluster2 | \
    kubectl apply -f - --context="${CTX_CLUSTER1}"

Configure cluster2 as a remote

Save the address of cluster1’s east-west gateway.

$ export DISCOVERY_ADDRESS=$(kubectl \
    --context="${CTX_CLUSTER1}" \
    -n istio-system get svc istio-eastwestgateway \
    -o jsonpath='{.status.loadBalancer.ingress[0].ip}')

Now create a remote configuration on cluster2.

$ cat <<EOF > cluster2.yaml
apiVersion: install.istio.io/v1alpha1
kind: IstioOperator
spec:
  profile: remote
  values:
    global:
      meshID: mesh1
      multiCluster:
        clusterName: cluster2
      network: network2
      remotePilotAddress: ${DISCOVERY_ADDRESS}
EOF

Apply the configuration to cluster2:

$ istioctl install --context="${CTX_CLUSTER2}" -f cluster2.yaml

Install the east-west gateway in cluster2

As we did with cluster1 above, install a gateway in cluster2 that is dedicated to east-west traffic and expose user services.

Zip

$ @samples/multicluster/gen-eastwest-gateway.sh@ \
    --mesh mesh1 --cluster cluster2 --network network2 | \
    istioctl --context="${CTX_CLUSTER2}" install -y -f -

Wait for the east-west gateway to be assigned an external IP address:

$ kubectl --context="${CTX_CLUSTER2}" get svc istio-eastwestgateway -n istio-system
NAME                    TYPE           CLUSTER-IP    EXTERNAL-IP    PORT(S)   AGE
istio-eastwestgateway   LoadBalancer   10.0.12.121   34.122.91.98   ...       51s

Expose services in cluster2

As we did with cluster1 above, expose services via the east-west gateway.

Zip

$ kubectl --context="${CTX_CLUSTER2}" apply -n istio-system -f \
    @samples/multicluster/expose-services.yaml@

Congratulations! You successfully installed an Istio mesh across primary and remote clusters on different networks!

Next Steps

You can now verify the installation.

See also

Before you begin

Initial steps before installing Istio on multiple clusters.

Install Multi-Primary

Install an Istio mesh across multiple primary clusters.

Install Multi-Primary on different networks

Install an Istio mesh across multiple primary clusters on different networks.

Install Primary-Remote

Install an Istio mesh across primary and remote clusters.

Verify the installation

Verify that Istio has been installed properly on multiple clusters.

Expanding into New Frontiers - Smart DNS Proxying in Istio

Workload Local DNS resolution to simplify VM integration, multicluster, and more.